Ontario Protecting the Most Vulnerable During COVID-19 Crisis

New Funding for Sarnia-Lambton Will Help with Delivery of Critical Support Services

Sarnia-Lambton — The Ontario government is providing $2,816,000 to The County of Lambton Social Services Division to help protect the health and safety of the province’s most vulnerable people in response to the outbreak of COVID-19.

This funding can be used by municipalities and social service providers such as homeless shelters, food banks, emergency services, charities and non-profits to support delivery of critical services, hire additional staff, acquire more personal protective equipment, and find ways to promote social distancing and self-isolation to keep people safe and healthy. The County of Lambton Social Services Division will determine how this funding is distributed locally to provide people in the community with the support they need.

“We are acting quickly to support those who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless during this unprecedented time,” said Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “This funding is going straight to communities, who know best what the immediate needs are on the ground.”

“It is vital that we take this decisive action to support the most vulnerable in our communities,” says Bob Bailey, Sarnia-Lambton MPP. “They depend on local services that provide them with the supports they need and a place to sleep at night.”

We are providing $148 million to local service managers and Indigenous program administrators all across Ontario to give them flexibility to expand the key services they already offer to meet their local needs. For example, this funding could be used for emergency loans for people having a hard time paying rent. It is up to communities to respond to local needs.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

This money is part of Ontario’s $200 million services relief funding to help protect the province’s most vulnerable people.
Visit Ontario’s website to take the online COVID-19 assessment or to learn more about how the province continues to protect Ontarians from COVID-19.